The present invention relates to a forced air heating and cooling system for conditioning a defined finite use-space to be controlled, More particularly, the invention is directed to a heating and cooling system in which auxiliary apparatus is provided and the blower fan is programmed to operate for finite, limited time periods including at time-spaced intervals when neither heating nor cooling is called for in the controlled environment or use-space.
It is known in the art relating to furnaces using forced air as a heat exchange medium to maintain operation of a fan or air blower during the time the heater (or the cooler) is acting. It has also been taught in the art to start the fan operation, for the heating mode, immediately upon activation of the heater itself rather than delaying until the air in the plenum chamber of the apparatus has reached a predetermined elevated temperature. Also suggested in the literature is to delay fan turn-off and to continue operation of the fan, after the heating source has turned off, until residual heat remaining in the air-exchange chambers and walls, etc., has been effectively stripped.
While the above modifications and "refinements" to traditional forced air heating and cooling systems contribute to the saving of what would otherwise be lost energy, they do not address what is submitted to be problems existing during time periods of non-activation of the force air heating and cooling system. During such periods, when the air conditioning heater or cooler is inactive, and the fan blower is off, the air in the "controlled" environment or use-space is not effectively circulated. The ambient air tends to stratify. Pockets develop. Stagnation occurs. Heating and/or cooling is seriously impaired. Comfort levels are significantly reduced. Energy is wasted. Such undesired and objectionable conditions persist until such time as the thermostat (wherever located) senses a pre-set limit and initiates reactivation of the heating or cooling apparatus, including the blower fan.
It is, accordingly, a principal aim of the present invention to obviate such and other short-comings and deficiencies in prior art forced air heating and cooling systems by providing a simple yet highly effective method for controlling and conditioning the ambient use-space at all times rather than only during activation of the heating or the cooling apparatus, including a short time span after the heater or cooler is turned off.